Session+12+ISA+14

(see the list of all sessions at http://isarc10internetforum.wikispaces.com/ISA+2014 ) Title:

Inequality, Modes of Participation and Democracy
Co-Organizers and Co-Chairs: Azril BACAL, Universidad Nacional Agraria la Molina, Perú, bazril1@gmail.com Erik LINDHULT, Mälardalen University, Sweden, erik.lindhult@mdh.se Session in English/French/Spanish

Inequality is a basic condition in as far as all human societies reproduced on individual to planetary levels. The session focuses on analysis of conditions and systems of inequality and how different groups are participating in these systems. A crucial issue is how different modes of participation reproduce inequality or can support more equal social relations. In line with the research interests of RC10, the session particularly aims to identify liberating and democratizing modes of participation, e.g. in the form of broad social movements, self-management practices, democratic governance structures dialogic relations or drama, which are able to reduce unequal power and resource relations and provide a basis of more equal, just and sustainable societies.

Format: Oral Is this an invited session?: N Language: English Research Committee: RC10 Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management (host committee)

Abstract id# 34284 (slides) Posed By The Global Panoptican, Penal States and Disappearing States In An Increasingly Vulnerable and Unequal World (paper draft)


 * Janet MCINTYRE**, School of Social and Policy Studies, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Sociology, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract Text: Facing up to an Unequal World has praxis implications for sociologists. The most important challenges are understanding the interconnected social, economic and environmental problems pose an ‘existential risk’ to life as we know it. The environment of the problem and the range of inter related ways in which the challenges can be addressed requires not merely transdisciplinary and cross cultural capability when designing policy responses, but the will to grasp the nettle as to why some live at the expense of the majority in this generation and the next. The paper makes a plea for a different form of governance that weighs up the social, economic and environmental indicators of wellbeing, in order to enable equitable distribution of resources and to ensure that some are not living at the expense of others and future generations of life. It moves beyond a critique to suggesting an alternative form of governance and democracy that spans communities of interest at a planetary level. The starting point is to address the five areas of priority drawing on the cosmopolitan agenda of Danielle Archibugi as: i) Control over the use of force; ii) Acceptance of cultural diversity by ensuring internal sovereignty based on rules that enable freedom and diversity to the extent that the freedom and diversity of others is not undermined. iii) Strengthening self-determination of people based on participatory democracy and the ‘absence of domination’ over others iv) Monitoring based on democracy and governance; v) Participatory management of the global commons as the fabric of life. Currently the role of the state in Western democracies acts as protector of residual welfare rights in terms of the social contract applied to citizens within the boundaries of a state or federation. Those outside these constructed containers do not receive protection in states that are becoming increasingly like fortresses. Email : Janet.mcintyre@flinders.edu.au -- Will not be published

Abstract id# 42435 How Does Class Affiliation of Sociologists Impact Their Choice of Theoretical-Methodological Research Paradigm for Study of Social Structuration and Inequality and of Corresponding Practical -Political Strategies ?
 * Vera VRATUSA**, Sociology, Belgrade University Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract Text: The paper proposes self-reflective examination of the impact of the class affiliation of sociologists on their choice of theoretical-methodological and practical-political research paradigm starting from which sociologists attempt to explain and/or understand dis/continuities in social structuration and propose corresponding strategies for conservation, mitigation or elimination of socially structured inequality. The main hypothesis of the paper is that sociologists like other highly educated experts are affiliates of the new small bourgeoisie, incarnating contradictory class affiliation. Sociologists like other professionals, possess formal certificate of acquired specialist knowledge. Diploma makes accessible to them salaried employment and work place privileges of performing planning and commands’ mediating work functions, but does not relieve from permanent worries not to lose them and fall into the ranks of the manual wage laborers in times of high unemployment. This contradictory place in the class division of labor of direct producers of legitimizing ideologies, leaves sociologists greater margin for the choice of the world view and social standpoint than to the affiliates of the main antagonistic classes. The core finding of the paper is that from the time of institutionalization of the sociology as the academic discipline, the majority of sociologists tend to retain/improve the standpoint/interest of exploiting class of commanding managers to conserve or only to reform the existing relations of reproduction of civil society’s social life and inequality, articulating simultaneously the corresponding mainstream consensus or conflict version of the positivist "old-materialistic" and / or phenomenological-hermeneutical "idealist" research paradigm of eternal hierarchical social structure/stratification. The minority chooses to attempt to come over to the standpoint/interest of the class of exploited executors, to overcome class division of labor which reproduces social inequality and to establish the relations of self-managed “socialized humanity”, articulating simultaneously the corresponding critical “new-materialistically inverted dialectic” research paradigm of liberating potential of self-organized class struggle. Email: vvratusa@sezampro.rs - will not be published

Abstract id# 49105 Beyond Rational Dialogue : Alternative Modes of Participation
 * Martine LEGRIS REVEL**, CERAPS CNRS, University Lille 2, Lille, France

Abstract Text: The stumbling blocks of the "dialogical" procedures spread in the political public place and put in the service of the democratic participation of the citizens can be limited, by-passed even by the development of modalities and "post-dialogical" devices of sustainable cooperation in the public and " private " places, the political spaces and everyday life, with the aim of a both reflexive and constructive democratic governance. The "post-dialogical" way suggests that the "dialogical" devices in the service of the democratic participation are neither a necessary condition, nor a sufficient condition of the mobilization of the actors or the exercise of the citizenship. The passage of the models and the devices of participation of "dialogical" type in the models and devices of cooperation of "post-dialogical" type allows to envisage sustainable democratic methods of social exchange and governance beyond the public place and beyond the political space, by considering their development and their functioning in the "private" spaces, in particular those of the world of work and of everyday life.The way of the cooperation groups a big variety of approaches and experiences and suggest, beyond the devices of interaction, to question the transformations of the company and the State, as well as their possible evolution towards the forms of " the cooperative company " and of " cooperative State ", major partners, with civil society, of the democratic governance of our societies. Our paper will include a theoretical approach and the synthesis of the results of our field work in the domain of industrial democracy and of citizen contribution to sustainable developement in France and in Europe. email: mart.revel@gmail.com - will not be published

Abstract id# 53234 "Equality and Challenge: The Case of ‘Lysistrata' in Ancient Greek Drama"
 * Magda ROUSSI**, Founder of the Fine Arts Group of University of Piraeus, Piraeus - Athens, Greece

Abstract Text: This paper concerns with the successful revival of the ancient Greek drama through the study of “Lysistrata” by Aristophanes. The educational and recreational character of the ancient Greek drama gives the audience messages for equality, a notion useful in building sound personalities, ready to participate in a democratic state. In this paper I will be present the analysis of “Lysistrata” through the mask/prosopeio of the ancient Greek drama. The results were acquired after going through and studying elements from a variety of sources, such as masks form pottery, bas-reliefs, sculptures, frescoes, statuettes and texts. Aristophanes, who is considered to be the best ancient Greek comedy writer, was well aware of the social problems faced by the Athenian republic during and after the Peloponnesian War and thus felt challenged to present these problems through his writings. One famous persona he made up was “Lysistrata”, an audacious, vivid, powerful woman. Nowadays, “Lysistrata” is taught in philosophy schools and played in theatres around the world. The messages conveyed involve idea of the equality, peace, reconciliation, dialogue, human rights. The educational activities deriving from the ancient masks presented masks could take the form of articles, lectures, e- lectures, workshops, interactive programs, videos etc. email: mroussis@unipi.gr - will not be published

Abstract id# 33205 Paper withdrawn Facing An Unequal World: Challenges For Global Sociology & Participation
 * Gyoergy SZELL**, Social Sciences, University of Osnabrueck, Osnabrueck, Germany

Abstract Text: Participation, Organisational Democracy and Self-management are at the core of overcoming an unequal and unjust world. Decent work and social justice have to be promoted on the different levels of social actions: i.e. micro, meso and macro. Mainstream sociology has unfortunately neglected in the past couple of years this trend, after neo-liberalism transformed most societies, especially after the breakdown of the socialist system, into market societies. Insofar a Second Enlightenment – as the late Neil Postman phrased it – and Phronesis, i.e. the search for a Good Society, have to be put on the agenda again. email: gszell@uos.de - will not be published

RC 65328: How Bright Are the Nordic Lights - Challenges to Decent Work and Welfare Paper withdrawn
 * Åke SANDBERG** Prof**.:** Stockholm University - - Department of Sociology Stockholm, 11668 Sweden **Phone Number:** +46 706 70 88 33 **Email:** ake.sandberg@sociology.su.se -- Will not be published

Abstract Text: The Nordic countries and Scandinavia have long been different from many other countries in several respects. Work has been relatively decent, sociotechnical experiences have developed, management has had a dialogic charachter, unions have been strong, equality has been high and welfare well developed. Free trade and openness have been a charachteristic which has put a pressure on productivity, but still the social fabric has remained different to the anglo-sachson standard model. With today's global pressures and in the aftermath of the financial crisis, the Nordic countries are still different, although there are tendencies tht they are adapting to global trends. With a recent edited volume as a basis, "Nordic Lights" (Stockholm 2013) this paper will discuss to what extent the 'Nordic model' of a 'productive welfare' will be sustainable in the future. email: ake.sandberg@sociology.su.se

Session Organizers Azril BACAL Uppsala University Department of Sociology Sweden **Phone Number:** +46 (0)760809239 **Email:** bazril1@gmail.com -- Will not be published Session Organizer and chair Erik LINDHULT Mälardalen University Box 325 Smedjegatan 37 Department of Innovation Management Eskilstuna, SE-63105 Sweden **Phone Number:** +46 (0)739607140 **Email:** erik.lindhult@mdh.se -- Will not be published